At Rosebank Farms, located in an area previously known as “Drought Hill,” the commitment to sustainable water management has transformed challenges into opportunities for growth. Since its inception in 1992, the farm has faced ongoing water scarcity and contamination issues, prompting a continuous journey towards water efficiency and safety. This led owner Andrea Gunner to discover the Environmental Farm Plan Program (EFP).
Farmers who have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) learn how to reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. Many Environmental Farm Plan participants enjoy increased efficiency, profitability, and new customers as a result of increased environmental sustainability. (Ministry of Agriculture and Food)
With the support of her EFP Advisor, Pete Spencer, in 2021, Andrea was guided through the completion of her Environmental Farm Plan workbook which identified key environmental and climate risks affecting the farm as well as opened the farm up to Beneficial Management Practices Program (BMP) funding.
With ongoing upgrades to their water treatment systems, including the integration of wells into their storage network and a multi-stage treatment process initiated in 2022, Rosebank Farms has successfully tackled challenges posed by nitrate and heavy metal contamination. The enhancements culminated in 2023 with a significant upgrade to a reverse osmosis system, ensuring clean and safe water for both livestock and household use.
The turning point came in 2024 when funding through the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program was secured, enabling the farm to double its water storage capacity. This expansion not only supports livestock and irrigation but also plays a crucial role in wildfire mitigation—an increasingly critical concern.
Andrea Gunner, the driving force behind these initiatives at Rosebank Farms, expresses her gratitude for the support that has made this journey possible: “We are beyond thrilled to have doubled water storage capacity for livestock, irrigation, and wildfire mitigation using BMP Water Infrastructure funding. In recognition of increasingly frequent drought, we added catchment to two more farm buildings once the new cistern installation and hookup were complete. A big thank you to Investment Agriculture Foundation and the provincial and federal governments!”
Funding for these programs have been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).
